As her eyes grazed her daughter’s profile, beads of tears fell from Melanie’s eyes. “Millie, my sweet girl… Will you blame your Mommy for leaving you and your Dad one day? Mommy’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think she will find happiness in her life here. I want to try another way, a different life. But know that your Mommy won’t go far from you, and all of my love is always for you. When Mommy finally finds her footing while she lives alone, when she finally has surplus money, I’ll come and try talking your Dad into releasing you into my care, okay? Mommy really wants to bring you with her; it’s just that there’s too many uncertainties…”Melissa’s little hand reached out to her mother’s cheek before wiping the tears away. “Mommy, what’s ‘happiness’?” she asked innocently. “Is it very big and important?”Melanie found herself grasping at air for an answer. Is happiness ever “big and important”? She did not know; heck, she did not even know what it meant to be happy—it was cryptic, al
Jett furrowed his eyebrows. His voice was marked with hesitance when he said, “Uh, Mr. Smith, he didn’t—”She cut into his sentence before he could finish. “No, it’s all right. Doesn’t matter anymore.”Jett held back any words he might have wanted to say, turned around, and left.It was surprisingly toilsome work to remove Alejandro’s shirt from his sleeping body. Her eyes were glued to the lipstick stain on its collar, her body slumped into a defeated seat by his bedside. She gravely wanted to discuss their divorce, and for that, she braved through long, drawn-out hours waiting for him to come home. He, on the other hand, had a woman in his arm while drinking himself stupid out there.Even a somber moment like this did not dull his mood, did it…?Another imperceptibly long period of inertia later, Melanie washed the shirt by hand, making sure it was spotless before airing it outside. It was wet and a little warm—and not at all enough to thaw her icy heart and her determination to
As the car was heading to the company, Alejandro closed his eyes and tried to salvage any reprieve this way, but his headache persisted while his mood remained incredibly sour.Jett, from the driver’s seat, watched him through the rearview mirror and remarked carefully, “Mr. Smith? Madam caught that red lipstick stain on your collar last night.”The man’s body froze. His eyes snapped open. “When was there a lipstick stain?”Jett steeled himself. “Uh-hem. You drank too much last night, and then you met someone you used to know, and then you two went upstairs. Uh, she had her arms around you, and then she kissed you. You pushed her away… That was when I quickly hauled you out of there.”A quiet but broiling flame flared within Alejandro. “Melanie… She saw… What was her reaction?”Jett shrugged. “She was just… neutral. I wanted to help you change your clothes, but she insisted in the end. I wanted to explain the stain but she wouldn’t let me…”Neutral?Alejandro cast his eyes down
Mark cocked his brow. “Melanie Lark? Hmph, who’s surprised that she’s finally had enough of you and wants to part with you? You mistreat her. And of course, the whole trial of being bound to a man who doesn’t love you—must be hell. Maybe you should learn how to love someone first before thinking you’re viable for marriage, punk, so don’t keep her and waste her away. I mean, haven’t we been here before? You messed Tiffany up, and now you mess Melanie up. Seriously, can you ever act like a decent human being?”He did not upset Alejandro—in fact, the latter had made enough mental preparations for the sort of mockeries Mark would definitely cast at him, so Alejandro could take them. “Yo, I’m here to ask you for solutions; I’m not here to be ‘educated’. I mean, pop’s gone, so maybe your big brother instincts compel you to be the fill-in, but eh, hard pass on the lectures. You claim I didn’t treat Melanie good enough, but what’s good, then? I bought her a limited edition sports car, gave he
Now, who would say no to a vacation? Arianne immediately waved her phone before chirping, “Well, then! Lemme ask for a half-day break from my Fearless Leader. Relax, I’ll have it settled in one late afternoon. Anything that’s gotta sway things to your favor, I’ll say ‘em. Remember to treat me to a good hearty meal for this!”...After her lunch with Mark, Arianne headed straight to the Smith Estate.Melanie was tidying Alejandro’s clothes in the bedroom. Every shirt and suit she had touched was spotless and mint as though it were bought yesterday, stacked in the most orderly row one could imagine. Each of them had a scent, too; a faint, but distinct fragrance resembling Melanie herself—refined, prim, fetching, and a little bit mulish deep inside.“All this is your handiwork?” Arianne exclaimed in shock. Ever since things were official between Mark and her, Arianne had never deigned herself to any of these chores. With her mind always trained toward developing her career, domestic c
Melanie drew a deep breath. “Well, then, Arianne. Do you actually believe that all a man needs to do to make a woman stay is to gift her a car, some fancy jewellery, some chic designer bags, what-have-you? Is that all what love amounts to? Oh, no… No. Men do that so that you’d wanna stay with them. Once you’ve gotten all pleased and charmed by their bait, he’ll revert to how he’s always been. Why? Because you’re just an objective, and he’s achieved it. Why even waste energy coddling you now? …Don’t you see? There’s not a scintilla of genuine affection in it.“I can tell, you know, if he loves me or not. I’m not seduced by all these materialistic trappings. I only ever wanted him, as a human being—be it Alejandro or Ethan. And yet, it doesn’t matter who he is; he simply isn’t mine. You don’t know the half of all those days and nights I’ve spent since I was bound to him by marriage, do you? I have had suitors—throngs of them, and I’ve never needed to lower myself to such submission, nev
Alejandro stared at the ticking clock hands on the wall, his exasperation growing. By dinnertime, he would have to go home and have that dreadful conversation with Melanie, and he hated it. He hated needing to go home.Still, he could not stall this any longer. Both of their patience was thinning.He fought against what was to come until the last minute before giving up and reluctantly driving home.The confrontation was just a matter of time.Like always, Melanie had finished preparing dinner. When she heard the sound of Alejandro’s car steering into the estate, her heart sank, slowly but surely, into her stomach. He was not late today.Melissa leaped from her baby chair and sprung toward the door, shouting excitedly for her father.Alejandro would never let his daughter’s need for embrace go unanswered. He crouched to her level and lifted the girl into his arm. “Have you been good at home today? Did you make your Mommy mad?”Melissa pecked on his cheek. “Noooo! Millie is a goo
“Have you really thought this through?” Alejandro asked suddenly.“Yes. I hope that we can live our separate lives from now on,” Melanie replied placidly. “I’ve been thinking… when my single life is finally back on track, I wanna come back and take Millie away, okay? She’s all I have. Everything else I can let go, but not Millie. She… She is my life.”The air was gelled by deafening silence. A few moments later, Alejandro looked up at the nightly dome above and drew in a deep breath.“It’s true that I’ve taken too much from you. I agree with your proposal, but on one condition: we don’t divorce right away… Because I want to try again. Do it from the start once more, I don’t care; just let me try again. A hundred days is all I’m asking, okay? If I don’t succeed in changing your mind—if you’re still dead-set on your decision—then I’ll agree to your conditions. All of them. I’ll sign the divorce agreement with not a moment to lose. We’ve been together despite the odds for so long… What